Cage Rage Championships
Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, is a United Kingdom-based Mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on September 7, 2002 in London. It is owned and managed by ProElite, with matchmaker and on-screen personality Dave O'Donnell as a minority shareholder. Fellow on-screen personality and co-promoter Andy Geer also owned a minority stake until he left the promotion in 2008. Cage Rage events are shown on Nuts TV, along with their own weekday show on The Fight Network (UK & Ireland). History Cage Rage started when Dave O'Donnell and Andy Geer set out to raise money by promoting a small Mixed martial arts show, to provide new mats for their martial arts school. The first Cage Rage event in Elephant and Castle, London was a success, which led to fans and fighters asking for a follow up show, leading to further shows and promotion as it exists today. In March 2007, after the purchase of PRIDE Fighting Championships by Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta from Dream Stage Entertainment, Cage Rage were announced as members of a promotional alliance instigated by ProElite and FEG, the parent companies of EliteXC and HERO'S respectively, along with Strikeforce, BodogFight K-1 and Spirit MC. However, this working relationship barely lasted a month. When Cage Rage signed K-1 star Bob Sapp to a main event in London for their April 21, 2007 show, K-1 stopped Sapp from fighting on the card. This left a desperate Geer and O'Donnell scrambling for a new main event on just days notice with aged veteran Tank Abbott eventually stepping in. Due to the closeness of the two promotions, ProElite purchased the majority shareholding in Cage Rage in September 2007 from Cage Rage's silent partner. This was a great deal for Cage Rage, and one which gives a clue to why Elite XC is so deep in the red. Geer was fired from the group he founded in April 2008, and was replaced by former King of the Cage boss Chris Cordeiro. In May 2008, Sky Sports said in a statement they would no longer be airing Cage Rage events on their channels. The offical line was that they could not continue with Cage Rage as a fighter (Paul Daley) had swore on live TV on a previous show. However, this was thought to be an excuse as the incident (where Daley used several sexual cursewords) took place well after the 9pm "watershed". Much more likely Sky was disappointed with the average 19,000 viewers Cage Rage was getting. Rules Cage Rage's current rules are based upon the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. These rules have been adopted across the US in other states that regulate mixed martial arts. As a result, they have become the standard 'de facto' set of rules for professional mixed martial arts across the US and for cage-based MMA worldwide. As of Cage Rage 13, amendments to the Unified Rules have been made, most notably the "Open Guard" rule and the banning of Elbow strikes to a downed opponent. Rounds All Cage Rage fights are contested over three, five minute rounds. There is a one minute rest period in-between rounds. Weight divisions Cage Rage currently uses six weight classes: * Featherweight: 61 - 66 kg (136 - 145 lb) * Lightweight: 66 - 70 kg (146 - 155 lb) * Welterweight: 71 - 77 kg (156 - 170 lb) * Middleweight: 78 - 84 kg (171 - 185 lb) * Light Heavyweight: 84 - 93 kg (186 - 205 lbs) * Heavyweight: Over 93 kg (205 lbs) Cage Cage Rage uses an nine-sided caged arena to stage bouts similar to the UFC's trademarked Octagon, though it is smaller in size. It has foam padding around the top and between each of the eight sections and has two entry/exit gates on opposite sides. The canvas is marked with a line that is a metre away from the fence at all points. Attire As per the Unified Rules of MMA, Cage Rage only allows competitors to fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. Match outcome Matches usually end via: *'Submission': a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits. *'Knockout': a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue. *'Technical Knockout': stoppage of the fight by the referee if it is determined a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself or by ringside doctor due to injury. *'Judges' Decision': Depending on scoring, a match may end as: :*unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter), :*split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other), :*majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw), :*unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw), :*majority draw (two judges score a draw). :*split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal) A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification, forfeit or no contest. Judging criteria The ten-point must system is use for all Cage Rage fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. The decision is announced at the end of the match but the judge's scorecards are not announced. Fouls The following are considered fouls in Cage Rage: # Butting with the head # Eye gouging of any kind # Biting # Hair pulling # Fish hooking # Groin attacks of any kind # Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent # Small joint manipulation # Striking to the spine or the back of the head # Striking downward using the point of the elbow # Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea # Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh # Grabbing the Clavicle # Kicking the head of a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005) # Knee (strike) the head of a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005) # Stomping a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005) # Elbow (strike) to a grounded opponent (as of 10 September 2005) # Kicking to the kidney with the heel # Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck # Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area # Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent # Spitting at an opponent # Engaging in an unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent # Holding the ropes or the fence # Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area # Attacking an opponent on or during the break # Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee # Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat # Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee # Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury # Interference by the corner # Throwing in the towel during competition When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw. Match conduct The referee has the right to stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position nor work toward one) after a verbal warning. Defunct rules The "Open Guard" rule Cage Rage was the home of a unique rule in the world of cage-based MMA; the "open guard" rule. Designed to prevent stalling on the ground, it allowed a standing fighter to use strikes on a downed opponent that would otherwise be fouls. If a downed fighter was at least a metre away from the cage, on his back and able to avoid or defend against attacks, the referee would raise his arm and call "open guard". Once an open guard was called, the standing fighter could use the following attacks on their opponent: *stomps *kicks or knees to the head *flying attacks Unless an open guard has been called, these strikes were fouls. This rule was introduced at Cage Rage and was designed to prevent a fighter from laying in an open guard where his opponent can only throw leg kicks or drop to initiate grappling. Since then, Contenders shows have been expanded to Ireland, Wales and Nottingham. Current champions Notable fighters Champions The following fighters have won titles in Cage Rage and are well-known in the world of MMA. *Michael Bisping *Mark Epstein *Ian Freeman *Paul Cahoon *Zelg Galesić *Paul Jenkins *Chris Lytle *Melvin Manhoef *Abdul Mohamed *Brad "One Punch" Pickett *Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro *Jean Silva *Anderson Silva *Tengiz Tedoradze *Mark Weir *Vitor Belfort *James Zikic Other fighters Non-titleholders who have competed in other top-level promotions. *David "Tank" Abbott *Travis Lutter *Lee Murray *Jorge Rivera *Murilo Rua *Renato "Babalu" Sobral *Lee Hasdell *Eric Esch (Commonly known as 'Butterbean') *Gary Turner *Ken Shamrock External links *Official Cage Rage Website Category:Promotions and organizations Category:Defunct promotions